Electric burglar-alarm for vaults, safes, or the like.



PATBNTED JUNE 2, 1903;

I 0. 0. MILLER. v ELECTRIC BURGLAR ALARM FOR VAULTS, SAFES, OR THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR- a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

om oo oo oo oo oo OOOOOOOOOOUOOO OOOOUO000 00 0 oooooooooooooooaooooo q a 00 00 0 0O OO OOOG OOOOO 0 oo oo o 0o ooo o ooooooooooooaooooooo0000000000oaooo ELECTRIC BURGLAR ALARM FOR VAULTS, SAFES, OR THE LI E.

AAAAAAAAA ON-IILBD MAR 29 1902.

OOOOOO L.

7,7" 2. 2] r? l 7.9 1 I 47 2a No. 729,952. PATBNTED JUNE z, 1903.-

c. 0. MILLER, v 1 k ELECTRIC BURGLARALARM FOR VAULTS. SAPES, ORTHE LIKE. I I

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1902.

No. 729,952. v fATENTBJDgJUNE 2, 1993; r 0. 0. MILLER. ELECTRIC BURGLAR ALARM FOR VAULTS, SAFE-S, 0R THELIKE.

APPLIOATIO}! IILBD MAR. 29, 1902.

no MODEL. a sums-41mm 4;

m: Mamas versus co. Pnorauma. wuulucvom o. c.

110. 72.9352. Y P TENTBb JUNE 2, 1903.

, 0. 0. MILLER. I ELECTRIC BURGLAR ALARM FOR VAULTS,-SAFBS, on THE LIKE.

APPLICATION IILQBD MAR. 29, 1902.

HQ MODEL. V 8 SHfiETS- SHEET e.

f u I v j 3 9 i 32 36 L 5 1" j' M I 36 37 M 5 32 .9 H

' 511111114 Z 0. 316666? witmzmaa A 6W No. 729,952. I v I v PATENT-ED JUNE 2, 1903.

0.;0; MILLER. ELECTRIC BURGLAR AL ARM FOR VAULTS, SAFES, OR THE LIKE.

nrmunmn mum nun-29, 1902. no monnn. s snnnrs snnmy To all, whom it mag concern:

UNirnn' STATES Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT T'FF'ICE.

BLES. Q. Mitten, @F S fIEBV L .1 W

ELECTRIC BuRG L a-Ami R'M FOR vA UnT's ,--sA -E:s, OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming atti I lettersPatent No. w ps -taeime 2, 1903.

Application filed Mainl ne,

by declare the followingito be a full, clear,

and exact description (lithe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention, which relatesto burglaralarms, contemplates an improved electric alarm mechanism adapted moreespecially for use in connection with bank vaults and safes, although certain of, the parts may begemployed, to advantage for protecting buildings and rooms therein against unlawful'entry;

The invention has for itsobje'ct the pro-. duction of a burglar-alarm mechanism which is capable of absolute precision in action and which provides reliable safeguards against every possible eifort on th'e part of the skilled burglar to enter the vault or premises, as the. case may be, withoutinstant warning and prompt detection.

The nature of the invention will be readily comprehended, reference being had to the following detailed description and'to the ac companying drawings, -inwhich-- Figure 1 is an insideview of the front of .a bank-vault equipped--- with burglar"- alarmf mechanism embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view, partly broken away, on; line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is, a front elevation of the localswitchboard. ,Fig. 4 is a rearyiew, of the local switchboard, showing a diagram-j matic view of the electrical connections. Fig. 5 is an elevation of-the distant switchboard, showing a diagrammatic View of theelectr'ical' connections. Fig. 6' is an enlarged detail view of the vault alarm-gong'a'nd its protective casing. Fig. 7 is a further enlarged dei tail sectional view of the vault-casing,showing the valve employed-inconnection with the air-jackets. Fig. 8 isfa rear elevationof the vault-door. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view of the vault-door lock and circuit-closing means. i

I In the drawings I have shown my invention as applied to a safety-vault suitable for use Limbauks, safejle'posit companies, jewelry es-,

r sienna. 100,617. N 0 model.)

plication is not, however, to be regarded as a limitation, as the improvements may, as above stated, be employed to advantage in the protection of safesand otherrepositories,

and certain features thereof may be utilized for protecting buildings and the rooms thereof against unlawful entry. 1

Referring to the drawings by characters, 1 denotes the vault, preferably constructed of masonry and having a front 2, provided with an en trance-opening closed byaswinging door 3. The door may be equipped with any suitable locking means, suchas the vertical drawbolts 4 land the horizontal draw-bolts 5 5,

connected to move in unison by the swivel 6 and the pivoted bell-crank levers 7 7. The

lock 8 may be of the usual combination or other type, the bolt 9 of which is projected into the path of one of the draw-bolts to maintain the latter in fastening position. In the construction which I prefer to employ there is provided on the lower end of the upper drawbolt et a block 10, which when the parts are in looking position shoulders against the top of the projecting bolt 9, and in the unlocking position of the parts the withdrawn bolt is out of the path of the block.

To signal the movements of the lock-bolt 9, there are provided contacts, one of which, 11,

they aresecu red. The bolt-contactisrigid, and the contact 12 islof spring metal and is interposed in the patlrofthe contact 11, whereby to open and close the circuitin which they are connected. Wires 13 14 lead from the contacts 11 and 12, respectively, and are connectedwiththe signaling mechanism, preferably in 'tliefolldwing manner: Toward the free sides of the-door are contacts- 15, to which tablish ments, and the like. Such specificapis carried by the bolt and the other, 12, by the -.block10,insulating material being interposed between the contacts and the parts to which cuit consequent upon locking and unlocking the door and opening and closing the latter are utilized in the signaling operation, and it is likewise apparent that by the construction employed the accomplishment of such acts or any of them without instant warning is rendered impossible. The vault casing and door are provided at the inner side with an air-jacket formed of two sheets 19 20 of steel bolted in separated relation at close intervals to provide air-tight chambers in which air at a pressure of, say, twenty pounds to the square inch is confined. The vault-jacket is made in sections 21 21, connected to each other by communicating pipes 22 22, and the door-jacket 23 is connected with the vaultvestibule jacket by flexible pipes at the top and bottom. The pressure of the air contained in the jackets is indicated by an airgage 24 at each side of the vault. Electriccircuit wires 25 26, which are connected with the signaling mechanism, lead to the gages, the ends of said wires entering the gage and being arranged in the path of a circuit-closer carried by the gage-pointer. If an aperture be made in the door-jacket or in any of the vault-jacket sections, the escape of the confined airwill cause the pointer of the gage to drop and bring the circuit-closer into engagement with the ends of the wires 25 25, with the result of closing the circuit therethrough and sounding the alarm-signals.

The alarm-signal mechanism includes a gong 27, located on the outside of the vault. To prevent removal and unlawful tampering with the gong, there is provided a shield 28, which covers the gong and the ringing mechanism. The shield is constructed of two steel plates bolted together to provide an airtight chamber for compressed air, which communicates with a pipe 29 and, by a smaller pipe 30, with a pipe 31, inclosing the pipe 29. The pipe 31 in turn communicates with the vault air-jacket. Consequently perforation of the shield will exhaust the air therein and in the vault-jacket and sound the alarm from gong 27, through the circuit-closer in the gage 24, in the manner above stated. To prevent the removal of the shield by prying without detection, I provide the following means: At the upper and lower ends of the shield are pipes 32 33, the former being fixed to the vault-casing, through which they are passed, and inclosing the pipes 33, which are secured to the shield. The pipes 33 each have at their rear end a collar or flange 34, and on the rear end of each of the pipes 32 is a collar or flange 35. Interposed between the flanges 34 35 and surrounding the pipe 33 is a coiled spring 36 to force the shield tightly against its seat on the vault-front. On the extreme rear end of each pipe 33 is a collar or flange 37, from which extends an arm 38 in juxtaposed relation to the stem 39 of a valve 40, arranged in a branch 41 of the pipe 30. The Valve is normally held to its seat 42 by the pressure of the air in the pipe 30, and said valve is moved from its seat to exhaust the air and sound the alarm by the outward movement of the shield and pipe 33 and the consequent engagement of the arm 38 with the valve-stem 39. Inasmuch as the springs 36 will return the shield to its seat following an attempt to pry off said shield, it is necessary to provide some means by which an alarm will be sounded at the first attempt. Said means consist of spring-fingers 43, carried by the valvestem, and of shoulders 44 on the inner side of the pipe extension 41, which shoulders form stops for the fingers and prevent the valve from closing after it has been even slightly moved from its seat. The extension 41 is open at its rear end, and when the valve is moved the air contained in the shield and jackets is quickly exhausted and the alarm is sounded, through the movement of the gage-pointer, in the manner above set forth.

' 45 denotes a baffle-plate secured around the shield-seat to prevent the insertion'of an instrument for mufiling the gong.

The switchboard 4G is mounted in a case 47, located within the vault. The case is provided with a hinged door or cover 48, having a suitable lock, which may be connected with the alarm-circuit, although such a connection is not essential. In the bottom of the case below the switchboard are aseries of connected battery-cells 49 49, which supply the cur rent. A circuit,which is lettered A, is formed by a wire 50, which leads from the positive side of the battery to a rheostat 51 at the front of the switchboard, and from the latter is led a wire 52, which connects with a drop 53. In the wire 52 is a switch 54. A wire 55 leads from one contact of the drop 53 to a binding-post on the case, to which post is also connected the wire 25, leading to the gage. The wire 26 is connected to a similar post from which leads a wire 56, connecting with a contact of a drop 57. A wire 58 connects drop 57 with the negative side of the battery. 59 59 are electric-light circuit-wires connected to the positive side of the battery and to the rhcostat. Wires 60 61 lead from the wires 25 26 to the air-gage at the other side of the vault. A second circuit, which is lettered B, is formed by a wire 62, leading from the other contact of the drop 53 to a contact of a drop 63, located toward the upper end of the switchboard. A wire 64 leads from an adjacent contact of the drop 63 to a binding-post on the case, and from said post leads a wire 65, connected to the magnet 66 of the striking mechanism of the gong 27. The return-wire 67 leads to a bindingpost, to which is connected a wire 68, leading to one post of a relay 69. Connecting a post of said relay with a contact of the drop 57 is a wire 70. Wires 71 72 lead from the Wires 62 68 to an alarm-gong 73 on the switch. The gong, rheostat, switch, drops, and relay are arranged at the front of the switchboard, and the wiring is at the back?- The alarm is ICC operated by the cnrrentstarting from the positive sideof the battery with circuit A and running through therheostat, switch 54, and drop 53 to the air-gage and returning therefrom through drop 57 to the negative side of the battery. If the circuit A is closed, the

The signaling mechanism just described is" operated to sound local alarms.

If it is desired to effect the sounding of a distant alarm, I employ the switchboard 74, (shown in Fig. 5,) which may be at a police-station or, for instance, at the house of the banker. The wires 17 18, which connect when the vault-door is closed with the vault-lockwires 13 14, lead to binding posts on the local switchboard-case 46. A wire 75 connects one of these posts with an opposite post of the relay 69, and leading from the other opposite relay-post is a wire tween the vault-door and the distant batteries- 79 .is normally closed.

A normally open circuit D between the drop 63 on the local switchboard and'a battery 81 in the distant switchboard-case is formed by a wire 82, which leads from a contact on the drop 63 to the negative side of the distant battery 81, and a wire 83, which'leads from'a contact or rear drop 63,with the positive side of the battery 81. In the wire 83 and located at the front of the distant switchboard is an alarm-gong 84. 'A normally open circuit E on the distant switchboard is formed'by a wire 85, leading from thepositive side of the battery 81 to the gong 84,'and a return-wire 86, in which is a switch 87,'leading from the negative side of the gong to the relay 77, and thence to the wire 82. The circuit D, commencing on the positive side of the open-circuit batteries 81 in the distant switchboardcase, runs through the alarm hell or gong 84.-

to the vault in twin wire with circuit 0 through drop 63, which is operated by the,

the magnets and closing circuit D and sounding the alarm at the distant switchboard over circuit D in twin wire with circuit 0. The circuit E commences at the positive side of 'the batteries 81 and runs through the alarmbell on the distant switchboard through switch 87 and relay 77. Said relay is held in place by the closed -circuit"batteries 79 through the closed circuit C. When the clo'sedcir'cuit C is broken, the switch-is released,"and the relay-spring closes the switch inthe open circuit E and sounds the alarm throughsaid circuit. This switch 87 may be used to ascertain at-the-house of the banker, for instance, whether the vault is properly closed and locked, as'it is impossible to close the circuit C, whichoperates the relay-77, without closing the vault-door and throwing the bolts and throwing off the combination.

By the use of both closed and open circuits connecting the vault with the distant switchboard absolute security is obtained, owing to the fact that the alarm will be sounded by cutting the closed circuit or by bridging the open circuit.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a burglar-alarm,- the combination of a closure for safety-vaults and the like, of

-means for fastening said closure carrying a contact, mechanism for locking. said means carrying a contact, and an electric circuit, including a signal, connecting said contacts.

- 2. In a burglar-alarm, the combinationwith a vault or other door, draw-bolts for fasten ing said door one of said bolts carrying a contact, a lock for maintaining said boltsin fastening position, said lock having a bolt car rying a contact movable into engagement with the other contact, an electric circuit connectedfwith'said'contacts, and signaling devices in said circuit.

3. In a burglar-alarm, the combination of a vault or other door, means for fastening said door, mechanism for locking said means, elec-' tric signaling devices, circuit-wires leading to contacts on the door-frame, contacts on the door for engaging theframe-contacts, and wires leading from the door-contacts to contactson the fastening means and locking mechanism.

4:- In a burglar-alarm for vaults and the like, the combination of an electric circuit including a gong on the outside of the vault, a compressed-air jacket for the vault, a shield for the gong, a valve controlling an escapevent in the jacket, anv arm carried by the shield, and a stem on the valve arranged to a collar, a spring between the collars to force the shield to its seat, an-exhaust-p'assage con nected with the jacket, a valve in said' passage, and'a stem on'the valve in the path of the arm.

6. In a burglar-alarm for vaults andthe" like, the combination of an electric circuit IIO be engaged by the arm in the outward move 'ment of the shield.

in said jacket, a valve in said passage ar- I and a baflle-plate around the shield-seat for m the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES O. MILLER.

lVitnesscs:

PETER L. UHRISTENSON, II. E. MCCOY.

including a gong on the outside of the vault, a compressed-air jacket for the vault, aspringheld shield for the gong, an exhaust-passage ranged to be unseated in the outward movement of the shield, and means for preventing the unseated valve from seating.

7. In a burglar-alarm, a gong connected 

